What's happened since last Tuesday?

My last post was last Tuesday. What have I been doing since then?

I kept hoping I would get responses to my "Introduce Yourself" post, but got very few. Thank you to those who did respond.

When I last left you I was going shopping with NED in Jerusalem. Did that. And we were successful. We found an adorable skirt and sweater set at Topline in the Jerusalem Malcha Mall. We then drove into the city and parked in my usual parking lot to avoid getting any tickets. Parking there - in a back alley, off of Rechov Mesillat Yesharim (Rechov=road or street) - is 8 shekel for the first hour and 6 for every extra hour. Worth it for me when I don't know how long I will be out and about. I'm still fighting some parking tickets I received for broken meters.

Great shopping in Mercaz HaIr (city center). Especially for modest clothes for me and the girls! Very exciting! I walked past one store front and loved what the manican was wearing. We went in, the saleslady took it right off the manican, I tried it on and bought it. I have finally found the store with my taste in clothes. YIPPEE!!

NED and I met "brother Levi" at Burger's Bar off of Ben Yehuda. They make the best burgers in town! You have to wait a bit for them to be made fresh, but when they're done, yummy! They also make fresh potato chips. We had a great visit. Hopefully Levi will be able to come for NED's Bat Mitzvah. I am sending him a package tomorrow with some instant soups and chocolate. I love sending Levi packages to the army. Wherever he is based, he'll get it and be so appreciative. (He's now outside Beit Lechem (Bethlehem).

The rest of the week? I don't remember what happened. I know I baked a double batch of chocolate chip cookies on Thursday and a pan of Banana Chocolate chip bars to take with us for Shabbat.

For Shabbat Ari and I went to Kochav Yaakov. A very lovely - and affordable - community near Ramallah! We felt no effects from being that close though. DB, MB and NED opted to stay on the yishuv with friends. We took only ELY with us. On Shabbat afternoon she stayed with our hosts to play with their children while Ari and I walked around a bit. She felt very comfortable with us leaving her with strangers. (But they were nice strangers, with children her age!) Thank G-d she's a well adjusted child.

Today I drove Ari to work and then went to Neve Yaakov to meet with friends to discuss plans for Sheva Brachot which we will be making for Rabbi Kosman's granddaughter the week before NED's Bat MItzvah. I think I'm crazy! What did I volunteer to do again? The soup, turkey and cookies? When am I going to do all that?

And now, our good friend Shimmy is coming to visit and we'll have some of our NCSYers over for Shabbat when he's here. It will be loads of fun and I will need a break after it all...except, Ari will be leaving for the states :(

I'm rambling and not writing my best. Instead of doing all the things I should be, I'm gonna go to sleep! I should be doing something... but what first?

Hang in there with me. I'm trying.